(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to decorative glass windows and to processes of manufacturing them.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Traditional leaded glass windows, wherein the individual pieces of glass are fitted together by hand and supported by H-shaped lead cames which are soldered together and which have grooves that hold the peripheral edges of the fitted pieces of glass have been known for at least seven hundred years. They are, however, inherently weak and costly to make because they are made by hand and they have the disadvantage that putty is required to seal the space between the glass and the lead came. Over a period of time, this type of seal deteriorates and will allow water to seep through the window. Thus, high cost and water leakage have been the main disadvantages of traditional hand-made leaded glass windows.
The relevant art of leaded glass windows and simulations thereof is well-developed. The following representative patents illustrate the state of the art prior to the present invention. Holt U.S. Pat. No. 4,127,689 teaches a simulated stained glass article and method for its production wherein a sheet 16 of transparent or translucent plastic material is provided with a layer 11 of thermosetting or thermofluid composition. The layer 11 is colored to provide the appearance of lead cames. If the layer 11 is made of a thermosetting composition it is preferably a polyester resin or an epoxy base with fillers. Alternatively, the layer 11 may be a thermofluid composition comprising a hard wax base and fillers appropriate to give adhesion to the sheet 16. The thermosetting or thermofluid composition may be applied to the sheet 16 to form the layer 11 by passing the composition through a metal screen which has a pattern of apertures therein corresponding to the desired shape of the layer 11.
Drennan U.S. Pat. No. 4,154,880 discloses a leaded glass pane wherein the flexible lead moulding 18 having a channel formed on the underside thereof as shown in FIG. 3 is secured to the face of the single pane of glass 14 by means of a polysulphide adhesive 26. The catalyzed polysulphide adhesive is plastic when applied but cures to a firm rubber-like consistency after about eight hours, providing a secure bond. The adhesive is first extruded from a nozzle into the channel formed on the underside of the concave lead moulding 18. The sides of the channel of the lead moulding 18 have inwardly directed flanges 28 which form a mechanical interlock with the adhesive 26 to prevent removal of the lead moulding 18 from the pane 14.
Goralnik U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,326 discloses a method of making a cut glass panel 1 comprising a plurality of glass pieces 3 (FIG. 5) arranged with cames 5 made of epoxy resin 8 in a predetermined pattern between adjacent edges 7 of the glass pieces 3 and having flanges 9 and 13 on both sides of the glass pieces. The method comprises the steps of: (a) providing a silicone rubber mold 19 (FIG. 3) having grooving 21 in the upper face 23 in the pattern of the cames 5; (b) introducing epoxy resin 8 material into the grooving 21; (c) allowing the epoxy resin 8 to set in the mold 19 to form the flanges 9 for one side of the glass pieces; (d) removing the flanges 9 from the mold 19; (e) positioning the glass pieces 3 on the mold 19; (f) introducing epoxy resin 8 in the spaces 17 between adjacent glass pieces 3 to fill the grooving 21 and the spaces 17; (g) positioning the previously formed flanges 9 on the upper surface of the glass pieces 3 so as to engage the epoxy resin 8 at the top of the spaces 17 (FIG. 4); (h) allowing the epoxy resin 8 to set to form the flanges 13 on the other side of the glass pieces 3 and the webs of the cames and to bond the flanges 9 to the cames 5; and, (i) removing the completed panel 1 from the mold 19.
Brodis et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,688 teaches a method and apparatus for making simulated stained glass using an existing installed glass surface 18. The outline of a design is traced or drawn on the glass surface to be decorated. Then flexible lead stripping 20, one face of which carries a pressure sensitive adhesive 20a, is applied to the surface 18 in registration with the outline thereby delineating the lead-stripped areas. The edges of the lead stripping 20 are boned, sealing these edges to the surface 18. Colored plastic thin-film stock 16 having adhesive coating 16a is cut so as to be complementary to the lead-delineated area and then applied thereto.
Butler U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,170 discloses a method of making simulated stained and leaded glass windows which includes bonding flexible extruded lead strips 20 to a pane of glass 10 using an adhesive 21 to form design segments and then bonding tinted Mylar coatings 30 to the pane 10 using an adhesive 31 to simulate colored glass. Butler U.S. Pat. No. 4,438,165 teaches a method which is similar to that disclosed in Butler U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,170.
Drennan Canadian Patent No. 1,116,470 teaches a bevelled glass leaded window consisting of a base pane 14, a flexible extruded sections of channeled came 30, soldered joints 32, a polysulphide adhesive 44 in the channeled came adhesively securing the came 30 to the window pane 14, and a bevelled glass overlay 18 adhesively secured by epoxy adhesive 22 to the windowpane 14. One edge of the came 30 overlies the marginal bevelled edges of the overlay 18.
For several years, Charlton Industries, Inc., of Redmond, Wash., has been commercially manufacturing a leaded glass window product which is sold under the trademark "DuraSeal". This product is similar to a traditional leaded glass window in that it has individual pieces of glass held by cames, but a "DuraSeal" window is different from a traditional leaded glass window in that the lead-alloy cames are cast simultaneously around the individual pieces of glass. In order to provide the necessary structural support for the window, a border is cast around the periphery of the entire window when the cames are cast.